Sunday, August 30, 2015

Sweet Pumpkin Pie.

This does not taste like pumpkin for all of you who don't like pumpkin. It is sweet and creamy deliciousness.
This dish is an american classic which is served at Halloween, once the "Jack O' Lanterns" have been made.
Make sure you have dried out your pumpkin before mashing it. Wet pumpkin makes a sloppy mix which takes longer to cook.

Pumpkin Pie

Equipment
·      Pie dish (flan ring)
·      Sharp knife and chopping board
·      Rolling pin
·      Small pot and lid
·      Sieve
·      Whisk/ potato masher
·      Measuring cups/spoons
Ingredients
·      Sweet pastry, 1 sheet or half a block
·      Pumpkin, 300g (boiled and dried)
·      Eggs, 2, beaten
·      Condensed milk, 2 Tbspn
·      Castor sugar, ¼ cup
·      Cinnamon, ½ tsp
·      Ginger, ¼ tsp
·      Cloves, pinch
Method
1.    Cut out the base of the pie from the pastry, mold into shape in the pie dish and then use the excess pastry for the sides. Chill in the fridge.
2.    Peel the pumpkin with the knife, cut into cubes and boil in 1 cup of water until soft (about 10 minutes).
3.    Drain the pumpkin through the sieve, dry on paper towels then puree with whisk or potato masher in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool down a bit.
4.    Mix the egg, condensed milk, sugar and spices into the pumpkin puree.
5.    Pour into the pastry base and bake at 1800C for 30 minutes. A knife should come out clean.
6.    Cool on wire rack.



Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Mince and Vegetable Filo Triangles.

Handling Filo pastry requires some caution but once you know how, making these is easy.
You can add lots of different fillings to your own taste.
Remember to butter the pastry well before cutting and folding.
They don't take long in the oven, don't burn them!

Filo Triangles (Mince and Vegetable)
Equipment
·      Oven tray
·      Small fry pan
·      Mixing bowl
·      Wooden spoon
·      Measuring cup
·      Chopping board and knife
·      Pastry brush
Ingredients
·      Filo pastry (4 sheets- 2 per person)
·      Butter, 25g, melted in ramekin
·      Cheese, 1 Tbspn
·      Mince, 1/4 cup
·      Frozen Mixed vegetables,1/2 cup
·      Tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp
·      Onion, ½ sliced
·      Seasoning (small pinch of salt, pepper, herbs, curry powder)
·      Oil for frying
Method
1.    Slice the onion and fry in a little oil until soft.
2.    Add the mince first, brown then add the mixed vegetables and tomato sauce into the fry pan and cook until soft.
3.    Mix this together with the cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool.
4.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave.
5.    Lay out the filo pastry and brush each sheet lightly with butter, using the pastry brush.
6.    Lay the 2 sheets of pastry on top of each other and cut 4 strips (down the long side).
7.    Place a small amount of filling on the bottom of the pastry and fold triangles up the strip.
8.    Place folded side down onto a greased oven tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 1900C.



Sunday, August 23, 2015

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

This is a set cheesecake with Gelatin as the setting agent.
It makes a very rich (fatty) cheesecake with 3 dairy products in it (cream, cream cheese and butter).
Malt biscuits make a good base but any biscuits crumbs will do. We used Milk arrowroot ones for this recipe.
Make sure your gelatin is well dissolved in hot water before adding it to the cream cheese mix. Stir in the whipped cream after this.
The longer it sits in the fridge, the harder it should get.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (set method)
Equipment
·      Small round tin
·      Baking paper (to fit in the bottom of tin)
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Small mixing bowl
·      Rolling pin
·      Chopping board
·      Whisk/ egg beater
Ingredients
·      Biscuit crumbs (from 6 biscuits)
·      Butter, 50g, melted
·      Cream cheese, 2 Tbsp
·      Icing sugar, 1 heaped Tbsp
·      Cocoa powder, 1 tsp
·      Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp
·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp
·      Gelatin, 1 tsp
·      Hot water, 3 Tbsp
·      Cream, ¼ cup, whipped
·      Chocolate chips, 1 ramekin.
Method

1.    Crush up the biscuit with the rolling pin on the chopping board.
2.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave and then mix it with the biscuit crumbs.
3.    Line the bottom of the tin with the baking paper.
4.    Pack the buttery biscuit crumb into the bottom of the tin.
5.    Place into the fridge.
6.    Beat the cream cheese, cocoa and icing sugar until they are soft.
7.    Mix the lemon juice, vanilla essence and hot water together.
8.    Dissolve the gelatin in the lemon juice mixture. Heat in microwave if necessary.
9.    Stir the gelatin mixture in with the cream cheese mixture.
10. Fold in the whipped cream.
11. Add the chocolate chips to this mix and pour into the chilled base from the fridge.
12.  Return to the fridge to set for 20-30 minutes.
13. Carefully remove from the tin, cut up and serve.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Fish Cakes.

These are like chicken nuggets, except they contain fish and potato.
This is a great way to use up any leftover mashed potato or boil up some potatoes.
Make sure your potatoes are dry before mashing
Just add any sort of tinned or cooked fish, finely chopped onion, parsley and herbs.
Crumb (flour- egg - breadcrumbs) and pan fry until golden brown on either side.

Fish cakes
Equipment
·      Pot and lid
·      Chopping board
·      Sharp knife
·      Peeler
·      Potato masher
·      Mixing bowls
·      Measuring spoons/cups
·      Small frying pan and fish slice
·      Bowls for crumbing
Ingredient
·      Potato, 2-3 peeled, boiled and mashed
·      Tinned fish, 2 Tbsp
·      Onion, 1/8 , finely diced
·      Mixed herbs, ¼ tsp
·      Salt, good pinch
·      Parsley, a sprig, finely diced
·      Egg, 1, beaten
·      Breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup
·      Oil for frying
·      Flour, ¼ cup, for moulding fish cakes.
Method
1.    Wash, peel and wash the potato’s before cutting them up and boiling them. 
2.    Drain the potatoes when they are soft. Mash when they have dried out a bit.
3.    Mix the fish, onion, parsley, herbs and salt in a bowl. Add the mashed potato and mix well.
4.    Set up the 3 crumbing bowls (flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs)
5.    Divide the mix into 6-8 even portions. Shape into rounds.
6.    Carefully dip each fish cake into the flour, then the beaten egg and finally coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a plate.
7.    Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown on both sides.
8.    Drain on a paper towel.
9.    Serve with Tartare sauce.